The Two Thieves of Nippon
by swizzles
Summary: What happens when two greedy thieves spot Ammy's treasured Solar Flare? A contest to see who can get it first of course, and one very annoyed sun goddess. Raised bridges, a scientist in a tower, and helpfully unhelpful people only add to the chaos...
1. A Godly Meeting

**The Two Thieves of Nippon**

_Chapter One_

* * *

One beautiful spring day in Nippon, a young girl wandered through the streets of Sei-An City, looking for something to… steal?

Yes, this young girl was actually a ruthless thief, trained by Hayazo and a master pickpocket. She only had eyes for valuable items and rare objects, even as many a young man could not take their eyes off her.

She had various techniques for different people, ranging from acting like a sweet maiden to charm some poor sucker to artfully conning large groups of people. Not once had she ever been caught, until one day a certain wolf goddess decided to visit her favorite city once again.

As this young girl, named Mishi, slyly wandered through Sei-An in broad daylight, she knew a day like this called for a good scheme. Maybe a bump-into pickpocketing.

She silently bumped into a young man named Tanako and promptly apologized, flashing him a dazzling smile.

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry. Are you all right?"

Tanako turned around and flashed her a dazzling smile back.

"Oh, yes, I'm quite fine."

Mishi internally gasped. He was extremely handsome.

Tanako was shocked. She was extremely beautiful.

"Umm… would you… oops!" Tanako suddenly tripped and fell onto Mishi. "Ugh, I'm so clumsy, I'm sorry! Please, let me…"

That's when he realized Mishi had his favorite flute in her hands.

And that's when Mishi realized Tanako had her valuable hairbrush in his hands.

"You… you thief!" she exclaimed.

"_Me_! You stole my… wait. Did you notice when I took this?" Tanako said, gesturing to her brush.

"Well… no." Mishi answered, glaring at him. "Did you notice when I took _this_?" she said, displaying his flute.

"Umm… not really…"

Mishi suddenly realized something. "Do you know a man named… Hayazo?" she asked.

Tanako narrowed his eyes. "Actually, I do. I suppose we both do, huh?"

Mishi sighed. "Yes. He trained you too, I'm guessing."

"Yup. I'm a master thief! And I bet I'm better than you. Hayazo trained me specially!" Tanako bragged.

"Oh, really? I'm sure he did, but not as well as me. I've known him for years." Mishi flaunted back.

"Ha! I've known him since I was just a little boy. He's taught me everything. Absolutely everything."

"Well I don't care, and I _know _I'm better than you. What a fool you are, you couldn't have more _blatantly_ snatched my brush. I knew it the whole time!" Mishi scoffed, grabbing back her hairbrush from a surprised Tanako.

"Ha! What a lie. I only said I hadn't noticed because I didn't want to put you down. You are kind of pretty you know, if only you weren't so clouded by your conceit!" Tanako shouted back, grabbing Mishi's arm and yanking his flute away from her.

"Why you… you bully! How dare you handle a woman like tha-"

Suddenly, Mishi was interrupted as a shining white light entered her vision, making the bright sun above look as dim as a candle.

A beautiful white wolf with flowing fur and red markings stepped majestically through the gate into Sei-An City. The first thing the two arguing thieves noticed was the incredible Divine Instrument on its back. A gleaming red mirror flaming with colors of bright orange and teal, Solar Flare taunted them like a toddler to chocolate.

"That's… amazing…" Mishi gaped, dropping her brush to the ground.

"It's… incredible…" Tanako murmured, staring in awe at the divine beast.

He let the flute fall from his hands and it rolled away, falling into a canal with a little "plop!"

The wolf, who of course was Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, stepped forth and lithely brushed past Mishi and Tanako and several other awestruck civilians.

Flowers and grass sprung up from the cracks in the pathway where Amaterasu had walked. A small patch of moss appeared on Mishi's kimono.

The wolf padded away, heading toward the Aristocratic Quarter with intentions of visiting Queen Himiko's gravesite.

Mishi and Tanako were left speechless for several minutes. Their previous argument had been forgotten.

"All right. I'm getting that strange instrument. I must have it!" Tanako exclaimed, breaking the silence.

"Are you insane!? You can't just steal from a god! They'll destroy you! The only way is a good scheme. You have to fool them. That's the best way to steal something." Mishi said.

"Ha! A scheme. The only thing I need is brute force, the _real _best way to steal something. Most people won't hesitate to give you whatever you demand when there's a knife at their throat." Tanako argued.

"Gods aren't most people, stupid. No simple weapon can harm a god. You need to use your mind, to trick them. And brute strength only gets you arrested!"

"Whatever. When you attack people they stay quiet if you let them live. If you only con them, they'll realize you stole something and that's when you _really_ get arrested. And besides, gods are supposed to be pure and good, right? That wolf wouldn't dare to fight back. I just demand the instrument, doggy gives it to me, and I walk away with a billion yen in my pocket. Easy!"

"Oh yeah, that'll really work. What're you going to do, refuse to give the god a bone? You idiot. I know my way will work, and then _I'll _be the one with a billion yen."

"Sure, sure, you try your way and I'll try mine. That mutt doesn't stand a chance! By the way, lady, what's your name? Mine's Tanako."

"You can call me Mishi. And yes, I will try my way. Maybe, when I leave the city forever with a fortune in my pockets, I'll take pity on you and give a fraction of my profits."

"You're on. I'll be seeing you later, with a god's mirror in my hands!"

"Good luck with that. Fool."

"Wench."

"UGH!"

And with that, Mishi and Tanako went their separate ways, already planning and plotting schemes and attack strategies and the like.


	2. Tanako's Way

**The Two Thieves of Nippon**

_Chapter Two_

* * *

Tanako looked around. It was dark. Very dark. _Perfect! _he thought, peeking around the corner of Sei-An City's weapon shop. _Those moronic guards forgot to light the big torches again._

He crept silently out from the shadows, noticing only one rather spooked-looking guard standing in the square. The guard was shivering from the cold of the night, and glancing around nervously.

_New recruit, obviously, _thought Tanako, creeping up upon the pink-clad guard.

"Hello, Mr. Guard!" Tanako exclaimed loudly, causing the guard to let out a high-pitched squeal.

"Wh- who a-a-are y-you?" the guard babbled fearfully, turning white.

Tanako smiled. "Why, I'm…" his smile turned into an evil one, "Your _worst_ _nightmare_!"

The guard shuddered horribly for a second, and then fainted dead away. He collapsed onto the ground in a heap of pink clothing.

"That wasn't too hard…" Tanako mumbled, putting away the knives he had taken out and heaving the guard's limp body up. He took out a sack and shoved the body into it, tying it up and then dragging it on the ground as he began to head toward the Aristocratic Quarter.

Tanako dragged the sack toward the mechanical bridge over Lake Beewa, only to find it raised up and impassable. He looked around for Benkei, the only one who could raise the bridge, but the fishing-obsessed monk was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.

"Um… hello, sir. Do you know a way I could get in to see Rao, the priestess?" asked a young girl in a white kimono, standing daintily on the bridge.

Tanako examined her for a second and easily decided she didn't present a threat.

"Hello, girl. Last time I checked, Rao was dead. Killed by a demon or something like that. What business do you have in _Snob_ville over there?"

The girl glanced down at the sack for a second, and she looked confused. "Rao... Rao is dead? Oh. I needed her advice. You see, my name is Blossom. My father and I live in the city, and he often gets ill. He's sick again, and I really need help. Last time a mysterious wolf came, and gave my father some medicine. She even got him outside for the first time in months. It was a miracle, I swear. But now…"

Tanako yawned. "Listen girl, I would listen to your problems all night, really, but I'm kinda busy. How about you come with me? Maybe we'll find someone who can help."

"Oh! Oh, that would be wonderful! Do you know a way in? I've checked the bridge every day for weeks, but it's always raised. All the guards have been stuck on the other side and only the Tao Troopers have been here to protect us."

_No wonder it's been so void of security around here lately,_ Tanako thought. _And those Troopers are always so lazy. Idiots._

"All right, girl, you can come with me. I know where a secret passage to the Snob Quarter might be. We'll have to look for it a bit, though." _No harm in getting some help from this girl. She'll only make things easier._

Blossom's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh yes! Yes, let's look for it right now. Where did you say it was? Is it a tunnel? Thank you so much for helping me! By the way, what's your name? What's in that sack? Oh! Am I being to nosy? I'm sorry! I'll shut up now. Really."

Tanako groaned silently. _Ugh. A blabbermouth. I feel a headache coming on… _"Why don't you stay quiet?" Tanako suggested. "You might wake everyone up."

"I'm really sorry!" Blossom apologized. "I don't mean to- wait a second. Why are we trying to be sneaky? What are you doing, anyway?"

"Hey, you're the one who asked for my help, girl. My secrets are mine. Let's just say this sack is filled with... turnips. I'm just trying to surprise my girlfriend with these for......her birthday. Yup. It's her birthday tomorrow. We have to be quiet. Oh, and my name is... Shuhei. Happy?"

Tanako walked away from the bridge, backtracking to the Commoner's Quarter. He headed toward Yama's restaurant.

"Well… alright. I guess I can believe that. Thanks for helping me, anyway. My father will really be grateful if I can find someone to help him- oop!"

Tanako suddenly pulled Blossom down, crouching onto the ground and feeling for something at the base of the wall next to the restaurant.

"What are you doing?" Blossom whispered to Tanako.

"I'm trying to find some sort of switch or button here that will allow access to the passageway. Hayaz- I mean, my _sensei, _told me about it a while ago. It's around here somewhere..."

Tanako felt around in the dirt for another minute or two when Blossom suddenly called out.

"I found something! It's... it's a rope! It goes into the ground!" she exclaimed.

"Shhh! Keep it down, girl. You're loud enough to wake the dead," Tanako warned. "Here, let me see that."

He went over to where Blossom was holding a thick rope in her hands, which went down into the soil. Tanako grabbed it from her and pulled. Something under them shifted a bit.

"Here. You pull too." He handed her the end of the rope and they both pulled.

The dirt under them shifted and moved, and then suddenly something burst open from right under them and sent them flying into the side of the restaurant behind them with a loud thump.

Tanako scrambled back up and ran over to where the rope had been. There was a hole there, with stairs that led down into darkness. They had been right on top of a trapdoor, which had flung open when they yanked the rope.

Blossom coughed and got up, brushing herself off. She walked over to the trapdoor and stood next to Tanako, peering down into the gloomy stairway.

"Um... I guess that's the passage, huh? Uh..... you can go first. It looks a little creepy." Blossom mumbled.

"It's _fine_. There's nothing down there except a bunch of cobwebs and dirt." Tanako said, looking around for something to use as a torch.

Voices could be heard coming from the restaurant. People had woken up from the noise Tanako and Blossom were making.

"Dang it! We can't be seen. Go!" Tanako ordered, grabbing Blossom's hand and pulling her down into the blackness of the stairs. He slammed the trapdoor shut and locked it just as a few people came out of the restaurant, warily looking around for intruders in the dark.

Blossom's voice shook as she spoke. "I… I can't see anything! I think something just touched me!"

Tanako sighed impatiently. "It's fine, girl. I'm right here. Just follow me down the tunnel."

He grabbed her arm again and they headed down the passageway, feeling along the walls with their hands.

The tunnel passed directly below Lake Beewa, so it was quite cold and wet. Small drops of water dripped down from the ceiling off pointing stalactites, and the walls were cool and damp. Cobwebs stretched from wall to wall, and the pair constantly tore through them.

After a while the tunnel got brighter, and they noticed that there were torches mounted on the walls up ahead, illuminating the rest of the way with a soft glow.

"That's strange." Tanako whispered. "Nobody's been through this tunnel for ages. How are there lit torches here?"

"I don't know…" Blossom breathed quietly. "But this place creeps me out. Let's go faster. I just want to get out of here."

Several minutes later, they finally reached the end of the tunnel. A long stone stairway lay before them, stretching up to another trapdoor in the ceiling.

Tanako stepped forward, thinking _finally. _He climbed up the stairs and shoved the door open. Fresh air rushed in as they climbed out of the tunnel.

Tanako looked around. They were in the Aristocratic Quarter now, right outside Rao's old lecture hall.

Blossom shut the trapdoor behind them, brushing the cobwebs off her dirty kimono.

"I'm glad we're out of that tunnel. That was kind of scary. Anyway, thank you again for helping me." She pointed toward a large clocktower looming on the other side of the area, "My father said a scientist lives there. He'll probably be able to help me. He's a great inventor, you know, and I'm sure he has something that'll cure my father!"

"Well, I'm glad I could help," Tanako said, and then thought _..._s_ort of._ "And I hope your father gets better." _Not that I really care or anything. I guess._

Blossom smiled and hugged Tanako tightly. "Oh, thank you so very much, sir! That was great, the little adventure we had. Well… I guess I'll see you later then. Bye, Shuhei!"

She blushed a little and waved goodbye. Then she ran off toward the clocktower, disappearing into the night.

Tanako sighed deeply. _Finally, rid of that girl, _he thought. Then he remembered the sack.

He quickly opened the trapdoor, grabbed the sack, and then closed it again.

Inside the bag, the young guard was starting to stir. Tanako silenced him once more with a quick kick to the head.

"Alright… bait gotten, bridge crossed, girl gone… I think I have everything I need," Tanako said aloud to himself. He looked around and noticed there were no guards around.

_Geeze, where are they all? This city's protection forces suck,_ he thought. He dragged the sack through the darkness a bit, looking for a place where he could execute his plan. He noticed a light coming from one of the buildings.

He crept over to the building and noticed the light was coming from one of the windows. Peeking inside, he saw a bunch of guards gathered around a table. He could hear what they were saying with moderate ease. They kept glancing at a corner of the room where something incredibly bright shone, lighting up the building's interior more than any of the torches on the walls. Tanako listened in.

"Tomorrow we'll have to officially announce him as a missing person," one of the guards said. "He's been gone for over a week now."

"Yes," said another one of the guards at the table, "_If_ we could even get over the bridge. He's the only one who can raise and lower it. We're stuck here for now, and we don't even know the state of the Commoner's Quarter on the other side. Who knows what havoc could break loose over there? I feel sorry for the new recruit, he's the only guard who got stuck on that side."

A third guard began to speak as well. "We're just lucky we've been blessed by the presence of the sun goddess. If she hadn't decided to visit again, we'd be much worse off, I'm sure."

_Jackpot. Wolfie must be in there right now, _thought Tanako excitedly. _Time for the action._

Tanako slipped the ragdoll-like body of the unconscious guard out of the sack and stuck it in front of him as a meat shield. He went around to the door and kicked it open, shouting "FREEZE!" to everyone inside.

The guards around the table turned toward him. Within seconds, a multitude of sharp weaponry bristled at Tanako. He was a bit outnumbered.

"All right, then. Don't move, and the new recruit doesn't get hurt! And don't try anything!" Tanako snapped, glaring at the guards. He had a knife to the unconscious guard's throat.

The tallest guard, the captain, spoke first. "That's a _lot_ of negatives, buddy. What do you want, anyway?" he growled.

"Nothing much. Just the divine mirror off that wolf god's back, that's all. Make wolfie hand it over and nobody gets hurt, how about that?"

"What in the world are you talking about? There is no god here. Are you insane, pulling off something like this? Arrest this man!" the captain said, barking the order to the other guards.

"Wait!" Tanako yelled, pressing the knife closer to his hostage's throat. "What's that glowing in the corner, then? You can't tell me that that's not a god's... glowyness...."

The captain looked furious. "Are you mad!? This," he snapped, picking up a brightly glowing lantern from the corner. "Is only a lantern, developed by the scientist in the clocktower near here. It shines extremely brightly, true, but it is in _no way_ a god, you idiot."

Tanako stared at the lantern, confused. Now that he took a closer look, it actually didn't compare to the bright shine of the gods. Not at all, in fact.

The captain spoke again. "_That_, however, is what you could call a _god_." He had a smug look on his face as he pointed behind Tanako, out the door.

Tanako didn't need to look to know what was behind him. He saw the light burn the corners of his eyes. He felt the heat on his back. He heard a soft growl behind him.

And as he turned around, he saw what he had sought after the whole time: The divine Solar Flare floating inches above the great wolf god's back.

"Good wolf… good wolfie, wolfie, wolfieeee…" he mumbled nervously, squinting in the glare of the mighty beast before him.

Amaterasu snarled and whipped her tail, taking a step closer to Tanako, whose legs began to shake slightly.

_Straighten up, stupid, it's your time to shine,_ he thought. He stood up tall, trying his best to tower over the radiant wolf.

"All right, dog. Here's the deal. No funny business. I don't care about all your powers and whatever. Just give me your floaty flaming mirror, and the boy here doesn't get hurt. Sound good?"

Amaterasu growled, and a vine whipped up from the ground, wrapping around Tanako's right leg.

"I said no funny business, mutt. I'm not kidding around here. I. Want. That. Mirror. _Don't _threaten me!" he snapped. Tanako dug the knife a little deeper into the guard's throat. A tiny drop of blood squeezed out.

Amaterasu roared angrily, and large trees shot forth from the ground around them. It started to rain, wind began to blow very hard, and lightning flashed across the sky.

The guards that had been in the building ran for cover, tumbling to the ground and enduring the barrage of the out-of-control elements.

Tanako tried as hard as he could to stand his ground. His hostage woke up suddenly and began to struggle.

"Alright, fleabag, you asked for it!" he screamed into the wind. He prepared to punch the snot out of the young guard, but suddenly the chaos stopped. Everything became still, and the sky cleared up instantly.

The wolf goddess shook her fur and padded through the debris of weather torn trees and broken pieces of building over to the thief, barking once in annoyance. She glared at Tanako, but decided to give him what he wanted (so he would leave her alone, mostly).

Solar Flare lifted off Amaterasu's back and spun through the air dramatically, curving around and then flying toward Tanako's outreached arms.

...but nothing happens perfectly.

Something shot out of nowhere in a flash and knocked Tanako away from the Divine Instrument. Simultaneously, the struggling hostage previously in Tanako's arms was buffeted free, and left rolling on the ground in a shaking nervous wreck.

Tanako shakily stood up and shook his head, dizzy from the sudden blow. He looked around for the offender, and saw a very complacent-looking Mishi smiling at him from a few yards away.

"Well, I couldn't let you win, could I?" she said innocently. And then she was gone, with only a puff of smoke left to cloud her escape and show she had ever been there at all.

Tanako was completely astonished and bewildered. _How is it possible? How could she have... That was so fast....._

The guards began to get up, one by one. They too were confused by what had happened, perhaps more so.

Examining the scene, Tanako noticed Amaterasu had disappeared, and the sun began to rise over the horizon. The night had passed.

The guards' captain peeled himself off the ground and looked around, also noticing the shining goddess had gone. He also saw Tanako standing nearby, staring idly at the sunrise.

"Arrest that man!" he exclaimed in a hoarse voice, pointing dramatically at Tanako. But nobody listened. All of the other guards were too busy picking themselves off the ground or rubbing their sore muscles to care about orders.

The captain sighed and simply said to Tanako, "I'll get you someday, thief, and if I were you, I'd watch out for the goddess of the sun as well."

The captain then turned away and left to help his fellow guards.

Tanako said nothing. He only looked at the sun and basked in the warmth of dawn.

And then he simply sighed and collapsed tiredly on the ground, wondering.


	3. Mishi's Way

**The Two Thieves of Nippon**

_Chapter Three_

* * *

As the sun rose higher into the Nippon sky, Sei-An City bustled with activity and excitement. The story of the thief who had _almost _beaten a god had spread like wildfire, and not even something as communication-halting as an impassable bridge could contain it.

The guards had told the Tao Troopers, who did not need the bridge to access the Aristocratic Quarter, and the Troopers had told a mugger they had arrested (who was then found to be innocent and released), who told his family when he got home, who told their friends and neighbors, who told _their_ friends and neighbors, and soon the whole city had heard the story a hundred times over.

Of course, as with what happens to many stories gossiped about and retold numerously, bits and parts of the story get changed just the _tiniest _bit to make it seem more dramatic and exciting to the listener, which then happens over and over until it sounds almost completely different from what really happened.

"Did you hear, Mei Mei? Suki said it was a great _sword_ the thief used to knock the god unconscious, not a hammer!"

"Oh yes, I did hear! And did you know that the thief had to pry the mirror out of the god's claws, _not_ dig it up after the god buried it, like Fushiki said?"

"Yes, isn't it incredible? It's a good thing that little boy came along and managed to distract the thief long enough for the god to escape, or who knows what would've happened!"

The story-changing went something like that, until nobody in Sei-An knew exactly what _really _happened that night.

----------

Mishi strolled through the busy streets of Sei-An City, thinking about what had happened before. _It was strange,_ she thought, _I swear I had gotten that mirror. But... it seemed to have been sucked back somehow. It just swooped right away, probably back to its owner. That god really presents a problem... how am I ever going to get it to give the mirror to me? Obviously brute force doesn't work; the god _decided _to let that fool Tanako have it. She really wasn't forced at all..._

As Mishi wandered through the city on a day much like the day she first met Tanako, she got lost in her thoughts. Various people said hello, but she ignored them without realizing it. Street vendors selling their wares even called out their products to her, but she just walked right on by.

She finally raised her head when she heard a girl cry out in joy. Across the canal she noticed a girl in a white kimono hugging her father, who looked like he had just recovered from a great illness.

Mishi couldn't help but smile a little at that before she delved back into her thoughts again. She was just wondering how Hayazo could've trained both her and Tanako all those years without either of them knowing about the other, when a loud and boisterous voice broke into her thoughts.

"Oh, darling, you're simply _perfect_!" exclaimed a chubby man in colorful and flamboyant layers of clothing. He hurried over to her and introduced himself.

"I am Mr. Chic, and you, honey, are_ beautiful_. How would you like to be my new model? I'm a fashion designer, you know. The best in all of Nippon!"

Mishi was taken aback. She didn't expect this man to come out of nowhere and ask her such a thing. Becoming a model wasn't exactly what she wanted to be doing at that moment.

"Umm... I'm not sure I can-"

"Perfect! Let's start right now. Come, come, we have a lot of work to do. I've been _dying_ to try out this new idea I have!"

Mr. Chic grabbed her arm and led her to his shop nearby. Mishi didn't want to attract any attention from people if she resisted, so she just let the man pull her through the door into a large store filled with every color thread imaginable. There were rows and rows of spools on shelves, and various articles of clothing with different colors and patterns displayed everywhere. At the back of the shop, behind the counter, Mrs. Chic shook her head and muttered, "Not another one..." under her breath as she watched her husband drag Mishi to another room off to the side.

In this room there was a giant canvas on one wall for painting designs, mannequins displaying the latest fashions in varying positions lined up against another wall, and endless amounts of thread in strings and spools strewn about the room and piled high in heaping baskets.

"This is my studio, where I think up and create the most fantastic clothing you've ever seen," explained Mr. Chic. "Here's where the real fun begins! You see, a while ago this amazing scientist who lives in a big clocktower near the late queen's palace gave me this _magical_ little box which can record anything you say and repeat it back, over and over. He called it an "amazing breakthrough in science" but I think it's just a marvelous little invention!"

Mishi listened intently. She had always been a bit interested in scientific things like that.

"Anyway, my idea was, why not use this amazing box in a marketing scheme? I could get someone to wear some of my fashions, hide the box on their person, and then send them out on the streets to record the comments of people who observed their clothing. That way, I can hear what people really think, and make improvements to my designs accordingly."

Mishi thought for a second. "Why not just ask people what they think in person?"

"Well, people don't always tell you the absolute truth when they're talking to someone directly. They don't want to run the risk of offending the person they're talking to, so they try to be nice. And besides," he said, winking at Mishi, "This way is more fun!"

And before Mishi could say another word, Mr. Chic was a blur around her, moving around the room and taking measurements of her body, grabbing pieces of clothing and mixing and matching them on mannequins, and thoroughly picking the best patterns and designs for the outfit she was doomed to wear.

"At last!" Mr. Chic exclaimed after a few minutes, holding up a colorful combination of clothing in the style of a kimono. "This is perfect. Put these on right away!"

He handed Mishi the outfit and ushered her behind a screen in the corner. She reluctantly dressed herself in the showy and colorful clothes and stepped out from behind the screen. _Oh well, _she thought, _At least I can probably sell these for a good amount later._

"Oh dear, you look fabulous! Simply wonderful!" Mr. Chic cried. He took a small, metallic box out of a little satchel and slipped it into the folds of the cloth behind Mishi's neck.

"There. That will record all the wonderful compliments that you will _no doubt_ receive! You look great, really!"

Mishi walked over to a mirror on the wall and glimpsed herself standing there in an extravagant kimono with beautiful flowery patterns all over it, and a big colorful bow around her waist. _I have to admit, I do look pretty fancy. This is how I could dress every day, once I get that divine mirror. Ha! I wish Tanako could see me now._

Mr. Chic smiled at her once more and then scooted her out of the studio and into the shop. There were a few customers in the store now, and they gaped at Mishi as Mr. Chic pushed her outside.

"Go, my butterfly! Go and spread the beauty of Mr. Chic's fashions! Impress the world!" he called out to her as she walked away from the store. Mishi rolled her eyes.

----------

Later in the afternoon Mishi found herself in front of a fruit stall, wondering whether she should choose several oranges or a grapefruit. The old man who ran the stall stood in front of her behind the counter, smiling and waiting for her to choose a fruit. He couldn't take his eyes off Mishi's outfit.

Mishi looked up, turning on her charm. "Could I maybe, _possibly_, get a discount on these?" she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "You wouldn't be so cruel as to deny an innocent lady some of your surely delicious and sumptuous fruit, would you?"

"Oh, uh... surely not, miss. I'll drop a hundred yen off the price, just for you, how about that?"

_Hmm... That's not exactly what I was hoping for... _"Oh, but _please, _sir!" she said, pretending to check her purse for yen. "I'm just a _few _short. Couldn't you lower the price more? I would dearly love to enjoy some of that fruit, if only..."

The man looked hesitant for a second, and then he sighed. "Well... alright. Another hundred yen off. I wouldn't keep such a lovely maiden from enjoying my fruit, after all. Have a good day, then." He handed her the oranges, and took the money she handed him.

"Why thank you _so_ much, sir. I don't _what_ would've happened if you hadn't been so generous!" Mishi said, winking at him. She giggled as sweetly as she could.

"I'm glad to help, ma'am. I hope you enjoy your..." The man counted the yen she had given him. "Hey... hey wait! This isn't enough at all!" he shouted.

But Mishi was already gone.

----------

Yuchi had had a bad day. He was tired, too. All day people had yammered their life stories at him, boring him to death. People had yelled, too. _Anything to make my life worse, _he thought, wishing he could get off work already. But he couldn't. His boss had definitely made it clear that he was not to leave until he had sold at least three things.

_At least three things. Ha! I'd be surprised if this junk stand has ever sold three things, _he thought. Suddenly, he noticed a girl in an overly-colorful outfit approach the stall.

"Hello, miss, could I interest you in buying something today?" Yuchi asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Well... do you have any deals for a penniless young lady like me?" Mishi inquired, putting on her puppy face.

Yuchi looked doubtful. "You, ma'am, don't look very penniless. How would_ a poor street urchin _such as you be able to afford something like that?" he remarked, gesturing to her eloquent clothing. _Is she trying to take advantage of me?_ Yuchi thought. _Oh great. A con artist._

Mishi grimaced. _Darn it, these stupid clothes. They make me look like I came straight out of the queen's dressing room._ Mishi read Yuchi's bored features for a second.

"Listen, buddy. You'd like to just leave, wouldn't you? Get off work already. Well, how about we make this quicker, and you just sell me something, cheap. It works for the both of us and-"

"Now, hold on a minute. I know about your kind." Yuchi interrupted, staring at Mishi. "A deal. Ha! As soon as you hand me the yen for whatever junk you wanna buy here, you'll disappear and it'll be fake, or I'll get ripped off somehow."

He was right, of course. Mishi thought for a moment while he glared at her, and noticed several things in the stall behind him. There was a variety of junk back there, but she also noticed a piece of parchment tacked on to a wall behind him, which read in small brush strokes:

ALL EMPLOYEES MUST HAVE VENDED AT LEAST

THREE ITEMS BEFORE LEAVING WORK, NO EXCEPTIONS

"So... You need to sell three things before you leave, correct?" Mishi said to Yuchi.

He scowled. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Well... that could take an _awful _long time. How many customers have you had today, anyway? One? Two?"

Yuchi sighed. "I've had a lot, lady, but nobody's bought anything. People seem to like pouring their hearts out here, rather than actually making a purchase. UGH."

Yuchi recalled the day, and remembered all the people telling him their woes and problems like he could solve them all. _Funny thing is, _he thought, _I probably could. They're all so stupid, their problems so easily handled. Why, that lady who complained about bugs getting in her kitchen earlier, all she needed to do was sprinkle some of that-_

Suddenly, he got a brilliant idea. Yuchi actually began to smile, just a little, for the first time in ages. "That's it!" he exclaimed, hurriedly gathering a brush and a piece of wood.

His sudden transition from bored clerk to excited worker startled Mishi a bit. It reminded her of Hayazo's old personality switches. He would often go from kind to brutal in a snap. Mishi descended once again into deep thought, thinking hard, trying to remember ever seeing a boy about her age around Hayazo.

_Really. How could Hayazo have been training Tanako the whole time? All those years... those years of him treating me like I was special, like I was his sole apprentice. I have to admit, I feel a bit betrayed._

She absentmindedly watched Yuchi carefully scrawl something onto the board with the brush. He finished his brushstrokes and admired his work, grinning to himself slightly. He scrambled out of the stall and yanked off the current sign posted above the front, a slab of wood that announced the junk shop in simple kanji. Tossing the old sign aside, Yuchi ducked back into the stall to search for a hammer.

Mishi, meanwhile, thought some more. In her head, she played over all the times she could remember training with Hayazo. _There was that time when he wanted to teach me how to pickpocket. Oh, how long ago that was... Then there was the time when he wanted me to pretend he was a victim that wouldn't listen. He wanted me to attack him with knives... I remember I hated that lesson. I guess I've always hated physical violence. _

Somewhere in the background, she heard a hammering sound.

_And then... there was that time I showed up to one of his lessons early. And... and... there was that boy there! Yes! I remember now! I showed up early and saw him saying something to a young boy, about my age. As soon as he noticed me, he shooed the boy away, as if trying to keep him away from me... I wonder why. But that was definitely Tanako, I'm sure of it._

"There! All done! Oh, this is gonna be great!"

Mishi's thoughts broke once again as she heard Yuchi. She looked at him standing in front of the stall staring up at the new sign... and she laughed.

"'Yuchi the problem solver! Come on up and get solutions for every trouble and bother!'" she read aloud from the sign that now hung on front of the junk stall. Under that sign, a smaller one read:

SOLUTIONS - ONLY 250 YEN EACH

Yuchi smiled at her, his cares forgotten. He made no mention of the fact that he had only minutes earlier glared at her, thinking her a con artist (which she was, of course, but he didn't know that). Now, he chattered happily about his new business.

"Ha! Let's see what the boss thinks of that. I'm done with selling junk; this is _guaranteed_ to make a ton of money! Obviously people need their problems solved, what with the bridge stuck and the fear of thieves going around. People need help, and I think I've realized I'm the person who can do that. Especially if I can make some yen off of it, too."

Mishi noticed he seemed a lot happier now. She snorted.

_He is like Hayazo, _she thought. _One little idea and he instantly becomes Mr. Bright and Shiny. Good idea though..._

Before Mishi could say anything, he spoke again. "Y'know, I can't help but feel you helped me with this. If you hadn't come here I bet I wouldn't have thought of it. Or not for a while, anyway. Here," he said, pushing all the assorted junk off the counter into a sack, which he then tied with a thick rope. "I definitely don't need this stuff anymore. You can keep it all, if you want." He handed the sack out to her.

Mishi was pleasantly surprised. "Well, thanks, I guess. What about your boss?" she asked, taking the bag out of Yuchi's hands.

Yuchi chuckled. "Oh, him? He's actually a lazy slacker, believe me. He made me do all the work, and I bet I would've never gotten a break if I had continued here, anyway. This stupid little rule," he said, ripping off the "three items, no exceptions" paper from the wall, "is something he made up so he wouldn't have to do anything. This new business is mine, and I'm sure there's nothing he can do about it!"

Already a few people had noticed the new sign, and were tentatively stepping closer to the stall, curious.

"Oh... okay. Have fun with your business, then. I guess I should go now." Mishi mumbled, her thoughts slipping to Hayazo again.

"What was that? You're leaving? Oh. Well, alright then. Thanks, and... nice outfit, but it's a little too colorful." Yuchi said, grinning at her and then walking off to help a chubby woman who obviously looked like there were bugs in her kitchen.

Mishi felt the little recorder poke the back of her neck, and she spoke quietly to it. "Hear that, fancy thread man? Too colorful." And with that, she turned around with her bag of trinkets and decided she might want to look for the wolf god.

She took three steps forward, only to find a rather cross-looking fruit vendor standing in front of her.

"You. _You're_ the one who tricked me! You better pay up, missy, or I'll call the guards!" he snapped, glaring at her as menacingly as he could.

"That would work," Mishi replied, staring straight into his eyes. "Except for the fact that all the guards are nursing their wounds on the other side of the city."

"I... I... Oh, you're going to pay, lady! I know who can knock some sense into you! Fear the great and mighty... AMATERASU!!!" the vendor shouted, posing dramatically and waiting for the wolf goddess to appear at any moment.

Nothing happened.

"..."

"I said... the great and mighty AMATERASU!!!" he shouted again, louder.

Still nothing.

The man scowled and gave her a dagger-filled look. "Aw, just forget it. I don't care about you anyhow. It's just some stupid fruit." He hobbled away angrily, muttering to himself about fruit and unreliable gods.

"Alright then..." Mishi sighed. "I guess I should try and see how much this junk might get me."

----------

She headed toward another merchant stall, walking onto one of the main roads in the city. People stared at her bright clothing in awe, finally beginning to take notice. Girls whispered in the ears of friends who were with them, while a few women pointed at her, some of them jealous, some of them mocking. Various men in the area had their eyes glued to her in amazement, while wives and girlfriends worked to pull their lovers' attention away. Children giggled and shouted while they played, stopping shortly from their games to look at her outfit in wonder.

Mishi couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed from all the attention, after all, she was used to blending in with the crowds and sneaking around unnoticed so she could more conveniently pick pockets or corner somebody to swindle.

She remembered that she had the sack, too. _I must look really weird, with all these colors, but heaving this dirty old bag with me. I bet Tanako never had to drag some dumb sack all over the place. Urgh._

She finally made it through all the stares to the tool merchant's stand. She hefted the bag onto the counter and struggled to untie the thick rope.

"Do you need some help there, miss?" The salesman offered cheerily. He had had a fairly good day, and thus, was in a fairly good mood.

"No... wait... just a second... urgh..." she tangled with the rope for a few more seconds, and then gave up. "All right. Here."

She handed the bag over and the merchant easily untied it with a few knot maneuvers. The contents of the sack came spilling out onto the counter.

_Well. He opened that easily. Humph._

"My, my, what a collection you've got here!" the merchant exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he examined the various items. He picked up a small, slightly tarnished lacquerware vase, with a blue flower design etched into it. "Ooh..." he murmured.

_This stuff may be worth more than it looks like it would be. Either that, or one man's trash is..._

"...another man's treasure." the merchant was saying aloud, as if he had read her thoughts. "This stuff definitely interests me. How about you come back tomorrow? I'd like a better look at these. Then I will tell you how much I will offer, if you're selling it all, that is."

"Yes. I'm selling it all. These came from the cellar in the queen's palace, you know," she said mysteriously, holding up a small tea set that shined slightly in the sun through the dirt caked onto it. "It was down there for centuries. The queen gave it to me personally as a gift when I visited her once, before she died. It's quite valuable, but I have to make adjustments in these hard times. I have to sell a lot of my most prized possessions..." She tried to sound as sad and convincing as possible.

The merchant looked impressed. "The queen, you say? As in queen-"

"Himiko, yes," Mishi finished. "It was a great blow to me when she died. Oh, and these..." she exclaimed, as if she had just remembered something, "These wood carvings were handcrafted for the grandmother of the Wep'keer chief. All the way out in the snowy land of Kamui, crafted from the finest wood of the tallest trees. When I traveled there to find a cure for my dying father," she said dramatically, to sweeten the deal, "I found myself at the sad funeral of said grandmother, receiving these carvings as payment for cradling her in my arms at her dying moment..." She pretended to crack at this point, bursting into fake sobs and acting as if she was trying to keep from crying.

"I... I'm sorry. I just can't help it, when I remember that sad time. It was horrible..." she sobbed, wiping away her faux tears.

"I understand completely. I'm so sorry, miss..." the merchant stammered, looking as if he were about to cry as well.

_Sucker,_ Mishi thought. "It's alright, though. They went on and kept their lively village thriving, and I managed to find my father's cure, just in time. When I got back, I quickly gave him the rare root he needed, just as he was on his deathbed. So..." Mishi said, pretending to cheer up a bit, "You can understand why these carvings are so important to me. It breaks my heart to sell them off, it really does, but you know... with Sei-An's economy in such a bad position right now, I've been forced to. It's horrible..." She was on the verge of tears again.

"Don't cry, miss, please don't cry!" the merchant pleaded. "It's all right. It's okay. I'm willing to buy these for a very high price, I promise. I'll do anything I can to help you."

Mishi straightened up. "Oh, would you really be so kind? I don't deserve such graciousness... Thank you so much sir, really... I... I don't know what to say..."

"You need say nothing, my dear. I'm happy to help you in any way I can. But, may I ask, why are you wearing such beautifully tailored clothing, if you are so poor?"

_Oh. Yeah. Stupid clothes._ "Well, sir... you see, this is my nicest kimono. My best. A long time ago, before I was born, my mother traveled to Europe. She saw many amazing beautiful things there, and even met the queen. Yes, my mother met their queen, and befriended her. The queen, during one teatime before my mother left, asked her if she had enjoyed her trip. My mother said she hadn't had a better time in her entire life, and the queen, who knew she would miss her company after she left, offered her a parting gift. My mother refused many times, you see, but after a while she gave in, to be polite.

And so the queen summoned all the finest tailors in the kingdom and told them to make a traditional Japanese kimono, which they had no idea how to make. The queen was furious with them, but my mother, ironically, decided to teach the tailors how to make a kimono. After a while they got it, and made her a fine kimono using every color thread they could find. My mother received it and graciously thanked the queen. When she came back to Japan, my mother wore it to every party and every formal occasion she went to, until I was born. She kept it in excellent condition, of course. As I grew up, she gave the kimono to me, and now I wear it here on this beautiful Spring day, to honor my mother's birthday after she died. It looks like it was just made, doesn't it?"

The merchant looked awestruck. He stared at her clothing in absolute wonder. "Y-y-yes. Definitely j-just made looking, I can t-tell." He seemed to be shivering in some kind of amazement.

_All a big fat lie, of course. I've never been to Kamui. I've never met any queen, and neither has my mother. She died giving birth to me. But it seems to be working, anyway._

"I-I'll buy it. All of this." the merchant said, gesturing to the random junk splayed across the counter. "And... and... Oh, I don't mean to be rude, but I really love that kimono of yours. Would you....?"

"Would I what? Sell you this!?" she gasped, emphasizing her surprise and shock. "I could never, ever, sell this. And on my mother's birthday, too! That would most certainly be an insult to her, I'm sure!"

The merchant turned pale, shifting around uncomfortably where he stood. "I didn't mean... I don't want to... Oh, I'm so sorry! I should be ashamed of myself, greedily trying to get you to sell to me what must be your most heavily prized possession! How disgusting I am!"

Mishi stared at him uncertainly. _Okay, maybe I went too far with that. I'll have to back up a bit..._

"Oh no, sir, it's fine. Don't be ashamed. I was just blabbering about the "being insulted" thing. I'm sure my mother would be perfectly okay with me parting with this simple kimono, so I can keep living well enough in these hard times. Clothing is just clothing, after all. In fact, I'd be delighted to sell this to you. Tomorrow, of course, I wouldn't dare strip down in public right here!"

"But... are you sure? You seemed pretty against selling it to me at first..." the merchant noted nervously.

"Well, it's fine now. I have plenty of other objects that are tied with important memories in my life and sometimes it's good to get rid of a few, you know? I suppose it's not always healthy to hold on to the past too much. I'd be honored if you would take these clothes, and maybe it will even ensure my mother's soul rest in peace. So she's not tied down by material items..." Mishi said, over-sentimentally.

The merchant's face turned serious. "You're right. I think it would actually be helping your mother's soul, to get rid of earthly bounds. That way she can truly rest. I'll give you my price for everything tomorrow. You can be sure, sweetie, that it won't be some measly amount!"

_I'm certain of that. This guy's emotions are as easy to control as a puppet. Mirror or not, I'll most likely be leaving this town with a decent sum of money! _"Well, thank you again, sir. I'll be by again tomorrow!" she said to the merchant.

"Anytime, dear, anytime. I'm glad you told me all those stories of your past, miss, or I would've never realized how much this stuff is worth!"

Mishi flashed him a smile much like the one on the day she met Tanako.

He smiled back for a second and then noticed something behind her.

"Oh, it looks like we've got a visitor!" he exclaimed cheerily.

From behind her Mishi heard someone, a man, call out. "Hey, there she is! That's the one!"

Mishi recognized it as the annoying fruit vendor from earlier. _Ugh, not him again. What does he want now? _

She turned around swiftly; ready to yell at the man.

Only to find a glaring white wolf goddess bearing its teeth right in her face.


End file.
